Ghost Of Tsushima Patch 1.05 Adds More Brutal And Forgiving Combat Options

Ghost of Tsushima, the latest PS4 exclusive from Infamous creators Sucker Punch, has received a new patch that aims to make combat both more punishing and accessible, for those who want and need it respectively.

The headline of the patch is the new "Lethal" difficulty, which will push you beyond the game's current hard mode. Here enemies will deal more damage with each blow, while Jin's own swings of his katana will take down enemies quicker too. You'll have to adjust to tighter timing windows for parries and dodges too, while contending with foes that will be far more aggressive in fights.

On the other end of the spectrum, the patch will also introduce a low combat intensity option into the accessibility menu. This aims to give players more breathing room in combat, preventing enemies from attacking Jin while healing and breaking off their combos once you're hit. You can also block previously unblockable attacks, while also staggering Brutes with your heavy attack to give you an advantage.

Outside of these two gameplay changes, the update gives you more options for text sizes and legibility, including new colors for subtitles. It also features big fixes, but the official patch notes don't specify exactly which you can expect to be quashed with the update. You can read the full patch notes below.

Ghost of Tsushima Patch 1.05 Notes

New difficulty level: Lethal

• Enemy weapons are more deadly, but Jin’s katana is also more deadly
• Enemies are more aggressive in combat
• Enemies detect you faster
• Tighter Parry and Dodge windows

Lower Intensity Combat

Lower intensity mode is meant to maintain the heart and feel of Ghost of Tsushima combat while relaxing several timing-specific elements. Combat is less intense, giving you more time to react. Stealth settings are more forgiving, and enemies take longer to detect you.

• Most enemy attacks which are normally unblockable become blockable when Lower Intensity is enabled. Blocking with L1 will keep you safe from more attacks than standard combat, though some attacks must still be dodged.
• Enemies break off their attack combos after damaging you, giving you a chance to recover before the next wave of attacks. In addition, your heavy attacks will interrupt attacks from Brutes, giving you another way to stop their combos.
• Enemies will not attack you while you’re using Resolve to heal
• Enemy awareness builds more slowly, giving you more time to recover after being spotted

Text changes

• Large Text option: Increases text size of subtitles, mission objectives and interact prompts by 150% when enabled
• Added option to turn speaker name off when subtitles are enabled
• New subtitle text color options in addition to white: Yellow, Blue, Red, Green

Patch 1.05 also includes additional bug fixes.